Tony D'Alberto
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Tony D'Alberto (born Antonio D'Alberto December 9, 1985), is an Australian V8 Supercar driver. In 2008 he makes his début as a full time driver in the V8Supercar Championship Series driving the number 55 Holden Commodore for Tony D'Alberto Racing which runs under the Rod Nash Racing franchise.
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[edit] Racing career
[edit] Formula Ford
D'Alberto began his career in the early 2000's running a Formula Ford in his home state of Victoria, making a brief appearances in the 2002 Australian Formula Ford Championship.
[edit] V8 Supercar
2003 saw D'Alberto step into V8Supercars for the first time, stepping into a John Faulkner Racing Commodore at the third round of the second tier Konica V8 Supercar Series held at Eastern Creek Raceway. In just his sixth race he had climbed into the top ten at Phillip Island and finished his first partial season with a fifth place overall at the series final at Mallala Motor Sport Park.
Joing the Independent Racing Cars team for 2004 D'Alberto evolved into a regular top ten runner, but podiums eluded him as he raced to eighth place in the championship. That first podium came though on the biggest stage at the non-championship round held as a support race for the 2004 Bathurst 1000, driving a Ford Falcon for the first and thus far only time he gave his temporary Howard Racing team third place.
Taking the bull by the horns Tony D'Alberto Racing was formed around the developing racer and a serious attempt for the champion was run for the first time in 2005 season and he claimed third places at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Eastern Creek and Bathurst rounds of the championship on his way to fifth place. His form however did translate to his first invite to race in the main series endurance races and he stepped into the second Tasman Motorsport Commodore but did not finish either enduro.
2006 was frustrating for D'Alberto was the team expanded to a second car for Mark McNally but slid backwards and apart from again starring at the Bathurst round, heading for the familiar third place, was absent from from the Fujitsu Series podiums, although the enduros this year saw him join the championship winning team HSV Dealer Team although a confused driver swapping situation with Holden Racing Team saw D'Alberto deposited into the combined squads fourth car and results were not strong.
[edit] Series champion
2007 would see a season long battle between a revitalised Tony D'Alberto Racing team and the big new team in the Fujitsu series, the Jim Morton run Ford team, Ford Rising Stars Racing and its lead driver Michael Caruso. Second at the Adelaide Clipsal 500 round lead to his first race win at Wakefield Park Raceway in the third race of the weekend, which also gave him his first round win, and the points lead as Caruso faltered. Consistent seconds and a third at Winton gave D'Alberto another round win, but Queensland Raceway was a miss-step and Caruso gained ground. Owen Kelly took over the Oran Park Raceway round as D'Alberto slid to sixth for the round but it was worse for Caruso. Bathurst too was a mixed result, but Caruso gained ground as Luke Youlden took the win. At Phillip Island finale Caruso reigned supreme but a late race collision with Dale Wood saw D'Alberto limp to the line for the first race in ninth place. A repaired Commodore raced home to fifth position, more than enough the secure the crown despite Caruso's race win.[1]
In the 2007 enduro season might have looked modest as D'Alberto joined the smallest team in the series, the Independent Race Cars run Rod Nash Racing Commodore driven by Steve Owen. Eleventh place had been a good result at the 2007 Sandown 500 but the team starred at Bathurst. Despite the team's relative lack of resources they were involved in the fight at the fringe of the lead pack in the desperate, rain affected final stage of the race and Owen brought the car home in a superb sixth position.
[edit] V8 Supercar Championship Series
The 2008 season has seen the GMAC Racing team take over as the team running under the Rod Nash Racing franchise for the teams first assault on the V8 Supercar Championship Series, fulfilling the team's long held ambitions. While a long running court case over past ownership of the #55 franchise has thrown some doubt over the teams entry to the 2008 season[2], the team expects to take the grid at the season opening Adelaide 500.
[edit] Career results
| Season | Series | Position | Car | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Victorian Formula Ford Championship | 3rd | Mygale SJ00 | |
| 2002 | Australian Formula Ford Championship | 22nd | Mygale SJ00 | |
| 2003 | Konica V8 Supercar Series | 21st | Holden Commodore VX | John Faulkner Racing |
| 2004 | Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series | 8th | Holden Commodore VX | Independent Racing Cars Australia |
| 2005 | HPDC V8Supercar Championship Series | 5th | Holden Commodore VY | Tony D'Alberto Racing |
| 2006 | Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series | 6th | Holden Commodore VZ | Tony D'Alberto Racing |
| 2006 | V8Supercar Championship Series | 53rd | Holden Commodore VZ | HSV Dealer Team |
| 2007 | Fujitsu V8 Supercars Series | 1st | Holden Commodore VZ | Tony D'Alberto Racing |
| 2007 | V8Supercar Championship Series | 28th | Holden Commodore VZ | Rod Nash Racing |
[edit] Reference
- ^ D'Alberto Wins Fujitsu Series GMAC Racing retrieved on January 30, 2008
- ^ A full field motorsport enews retrieved on January 29, 2008
[edit] External links
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